It’s my mom’s last weekend in Los Angeles before heading back to Florida. So we decided to get out of Los Angeles (she was about DONE with LA traffic!) and headed 90 minutes Northwest of LA to Ojai (pronounced “Oh, hi”).
If you were addicted to the soapy ABC show Brothers and Sisters, you may be familiar with the town. It was here that family patriarch Norah Walker (aka Sally Field) headed up the family business Ojai Food Company. Kevin and I always thought it was a weird name dreamed up by the show’s writers. But while driving from San Francisco to LA, Kevin passed the sign. I can still remember his call where he was so excited to tell me that “Ojai is real!” WHAT!? I knew I had to go.
Arriving into Ojai, California
Fast forward 6 years, and we’ve been there at least a a half dozen times. As we drove in with my mom, I read from my iPhone that the Ojai Valley served as the backdrop of Shangri-La in the 1937 Frank Capra film “Lost Horizon.” Okay, no nobody in the car (including me) knew of this movie. But the main takeaway is that this place is gorgeous!
Day 1 – Saturday
First stop is the Ojai Olive Oil Farm. This family-run business is located in the outskirts of town (use Google maps and you still might get lost!). They are open every Wednesday (1-4 pm) and Saturday (10 am – 4 pm) and offer free tours rain or shine. Just show up – they don’t take reservations. They start once a good mass of people show up. But even if you have to wait, that’s the best part since they have dozens of oils and vinegars to try out.
As many samples as you want at Ojai Olive Oil Farm
They average one tour per hour, with each tour taking 25-45 minutes, depending on the size and interest of the group.
Standing under the olive along the farm tour
After the tour, our next stop was downtown Ojai for some shopping . We took my partner’s mom here a few months ago and she loved the shops. Unlike Santa Barbara with it’s big chain stores, Ojai has boutiques, small label clothing stores, cafes and wine tasting rooms. Below are some of our favorites.
Phil’s favorite store pick – buying fresh pixies (seedless tangerines grown in Ojai) at the Westridge Grocery Store
Kevin’s pick for his favorite spot in Ojai: The Ojai Coffee Roasting Co. with it’s comfy chairs
And my mom’s favorite spot: Rains Department Store with everything from Ojai branded merchandise, to clothing to a fountain in the shape of a rooster that spits out water (which intrigued/frightened me all at once)
Finally, with all this shopping it works up an appetite. Since this was one of my mom’s last nights we took her out to Azu, one of the nicer places in town. It specializes in Spanish & Mediterranean comfort cuisine and they’ve jumped on the small plate craze. We loved the atmosphere and being inside by the fire on the chilly/wet night.
Azu’s Medjool date wrapped with bacon. Yes please!
Stay tuned for day 2! Where we continue our foodie adventure with a trip to the Ojai Farmer’s market and a cooking class at the nearby B&B, The Lavender Inn.
Here is the lowdown on recommendations above:
Ojai Olive Oil Farm: Open every Wednesday (1-4 pm) and Saturday (10 am – 4 pm) and offer free tours rain or shine. Wide variety of oils, vinegar, beauty products and they can ship if you’re traveling and don’t want to lug it around.
WestRidge Market: Okay, there is no way to cut it. The place is a grocery store (open 8 am – 8 pm), but I love it! Fresh produce and Ojai pixies (seedless tangerines) right from the grove. If you want to pick your own pixies, there is the Friends Ojai Ranch, which is a blast… But had to skip this trip due to my knee surgery.
Ojai Coffe Roasting Company: Right in the heart of downtown (open 5:30 am – 6 pm). If you’re not into shopping (i.e. Kevin’s hot spot), relax on all the couches. This place is packed!
Rains Department Store: My mom’s favorite spot in Ojai where you can pick up just about anything (and even things you never knew you wanted!). Monday – Saturday 9:30 am – 6:00 pm; Sunday 9:30 am – 5:00 pm
Azu: Recommended for dinner for a special evening. Dinner runs 5:30– 9:30 pm. Reservations highly recommended
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